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MANUAL OF EGYPTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
AND
Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt.
FOR THE USE OF STUDENTS AND TRAVELLERS.
BY G. MASPERO, D.C.L. OXON. MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE; PROFESSOR AT THE COLLÈGE DE FRANCE; EX-DIRECTOR GENERAL OF EGYPTIAN MUSEUMS.
TRANSLATED BY
AMELIA B. EDWARDS.
NEW EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED BY THE AUTHOR.
With Three Hundred and Nine Illustrations. 1895.
PREFACE TO THE FOURTH AND REVISED EDITION.
Notwithstanding the fact that Egyptology is now recognised as a science, an exact and communicable knowledge of whose existence and scope it behoves all modern culture to take cognisance, this work of M. Maspero still remains the Handbook of Egyptian Archaeology. But Egyptology is as yet in its infancy; whatever their age, Egyptologists will long die young. Every year, almost every month, fresh material for the study is found, fresh light is thrown upon it by the progress of excavation, exploration, and research. Hence it follows that, in the course of a few years, the standard text-books require considerable addition and modification if they are to be of the greatest value to students, who must always start from the foremost vantageground. The increasing demand for the Egyptian Archaeology by English and American tourists, as well as students, decided the English publishers to issue a new edition in as light and portable a form as possible. This edition is carefully corrected, and contains the enlarged letterpress and many fresh illustrations necessary for incorporating within the book adequate accounts of the main archaeological results of recent Egyptian excavations. M. Maspero has himself revised the work, indicated all the numerous additions, and qualified the expression of any views which he has seen reason to modify in the course of his researches during the past eight years. By the headings of the pages, the descriptive titles of the illustrations, and a minute revision of the index, much has been done to facilitate the use of the volume as a book of reference. In that capacity it will be needed by the student long after he first makes acquaintance with its instructive and abundant illustrations and its luminous condensation of the archaeological facts and conclusions which have been elucidated by Egyptology through the devotion of many an arduous lifetime during the present century, and, not least, by the unremitting labours of M. Maspero.
April, 1895.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
To put this book into English, and thus to hand it on to thousands who might not otherwise have enjoyed it, has been to me a very congenial and interesting task. It would be difficult, I imagine, to point to any work of its scope and character which is better calculated to give lasting delight to all classes of readers. For the skilled archaeologist, its pages contain not only new facts, but new views and new interpretations; while to those who know little, or perhaps nothing, of the subjects under discussion, it will open a fresh and fascinating field of study. It is not enough to say
that a handbook of Egyptian Archaeology was much needed, and that Professor Maspero has given us exactly what we required. He has done much more than this. He has given us a picturesque, vivacious, and highly original volume, as delightful as if it were not learned, and as instructive as if it were dull. As regards the practical side of Archaeology, it ought to be unnecessary to point out that its usefulness is strictly parallel with the usefulness of public museums. To collect and exhibit objects of ancient art and industry is worse than idle if we do not also endeavour to disseminate some knowledge of the history of those arts and industries, and of the processes employed by the artists and craftsmen of the past. Archaeology, no less than love, "adds a precious seeing to the eye"; and without that gain of mental sight, the treasures of our public collections are regarded by the general visitor as mere "curiosities"--flat and stale for the most part, and wholly unprofitable. I am much indebted to Mr. W.M. Flinders Petrie, author of The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh , for kindly translating the section on "Pyramids," which is entirely from his pen. I have also to thank him for many valuable notes on subjects dealt with in the first three chapters. To avoid confusion, I have numbered these notes, and placed them at the end of the volume. My acknowledgments are likewise due to Professor Maspero for the care with which he has read the proofsheets of this version of his work. In departing from his system of orthography (and that of Mr. Petrie) I have been solely guided by the necessities of English readers. I foresee that Egyptian Archaeology will henceforth be the inseparable companion of all English-speaking travellers who visit the Valley of the Nile; hence I have for the most part adopted the spelling of Egyptian proper names as given by the author of "Murray's Handbook for Egypt." Touching my own share in the present volume, I will only say that I have tried to present Professor Maspero's inimitable French in the form of readable English, rather than in a strictly word-for-word translation; and that with the hope of still further extending the usefulness of the book, I have added some foot-note references. AMELIA B. EDWARDS. WESTBURY-ON-TRYM,
August, 1887.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. ARCHITECTURE--CIVIL AND MILITARY.
§ 1. HOUSES: Bricks and Brickmaking, Foundations, Materials, Towns, Plans, Decoration § 2. FORTRESSES: Walls, Plans, Migdols, etc. § 3. PUBLIC WORKS: Roads, Bridges, Storehouses, Canals, Lake Moeris, Dams, Reservoirs, Quarries CHAPTER II. RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE. § 1. MATERIALS; PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION: Materials of Temples, Foundations of Temples, Sizes of Blocks, Mortars, Mode of hoisting Blocks, Defective Masonry, Walls, Pavements, Vaultings, Supports, Pillars and Columns, Capitals, Campaniform Capitals, Lotus-bud Capitals, Hathor-headed Capitals § 2. TEMPLES: Temples of the Sphinx, Temples of Elephantine, Temple at El Kab, Temple of Khonsû, Arrangement of Temples, Levels, Crypts, Temple of Karnak, Temple of Luxor, Philae, The Speos, or Rock-cut Temple, Speos of Horemheb, Rock-cut Temples of Abû Simbel, Temple of Deir el Baharî, Temple of Abydos, Sphinxes, Crio-sphinxes § 3. DECORATION: Principles of Decoration, The Temple a Symbolic Representation of the World, Decoration of Parts nearest the Ground, Dadoes, Bases of Columns, Decoration of Ceilings, Decoration of Architraves, Decoration of Wall-surfaces, Magic Virtues of Decoration, Decoration of Pylons, Statues, Obelisks, Libation-tables, Altars, Shrines, Sacred Boats, Moving Statues of Deities CHAPTER III. TOMBS. § 1. MASTABAS: Construction of the Mastaba, The Door of the Living, and the Door of the Dead, The Chapel, Wall Decorations, The Double and his Needs, The Serdab, Ka Statues, The Sepulchral Chamber § 2. PYRAMIDS: Plan of the Pyramid comprises three leading features of the Mastaba, Materials of Pyramids, Orientation, Pyramid of Khûfû, Pyramids of Khafra and Menkara, Step Pyramid of Sakkarah, Pyramid of Ûnas, Decoration of Pyramid of Ûnas, Group of Dashûr, Pyramid of Medum § 3. TOMBS OF THE THEBAN EMPIRE; THE ROCK-CUT TOMBS: Pyramid-mastabas of Abydos, Pyramid-mastabas of Drah Abû'l Neggah, Rock-cut Tombs of Beni Hasan and Syene, Rock-cut Tombs of Siût, Wall-decoration of Theban Catacombs, Tombs of the Kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty at Thebes, Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, Royal Catacombs, Tomb of Seti I., Wall-decorations of Royal Catacombs, Funerary Furniture of Catacombs, Ûshabtiû, Amulets, Common Graves of the Poor
CHAPTER IV. PAINTING AND SCULPTURE. § 1. DRAWING AND COMPOSITION: Supposed Canon of Proportion, Drawing Materials, Sketches, Illustrations to the Book of the Dead , Conventional Treatment of Animal and Human Figures, Naturalistic Treatment, Composition, Grouping, Wall-paintings of Tombs, A Funerary Feast, A Domestic Scene, Military Subjects, Perspective, Parallel between a Wall-painting in a Tomb at Sakkarah and the Mosaic of Palestrina § 2. TECHNICAL PROCESSES: The Preparation of Surfaces, Outline, Sculptors' Tools, Iron and Bronze Tools, Impurity of Iron, Methods of Instruction in Sculpture, Models, Methods of cutting Various Stones, Polish, Painted Sculptures, Pigments, Conventional Scale of Colour, Relation of Painting to Sculpture in Ancient Egypt § 3. SCULPTURE: The Great Sphinx, Art of the Memphite School, Wood-panels of Hesi, Funerary Statues, The Portrait-statue and the Double , Chefs d'oeuvre of the Memphite School, The Cross-legged Scribe, Diorite Statue of Khafra, Rahotep and Nefert, The Sheikh el Beled, The Kneeling Scribe, The Dwarf Nemhotep, Royal Statues of the Twelfth Dynasty, Hyksos Sphinxes of Tanis, Theban School of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Colossi of Amenhotep III., New School of Tel el Amarna, Its Superior Grace and Truth, Works of Horemheb, School of the Nineteenth Dynasty, Colossi of Rameses II., Decadence of Art begins with Merenptah, Ethiopian Renaissance, Saïte Renaissance, The Attitudes of Statues, Saïte Innovations, Greek Influence upon Egyptian Art, The Ptolemaic and Roman Periods, The School of Meroë, Extinction of Egyptian Art CHAPTER V. THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS. § 1. STONE, CLAY, AND GLASS: Precious Stones, Lapidary Art, Beads and Amulets, Scarabaei, Statuettes, Libation Tables, Perfume Vases, Kohl-pots, Pottery, Clay, Glazes, Red and Painted Wares, Ûshabtiû, Funerary Cones, Painted Vases, "Canopic" Vases, Clay Sarcophagi, Glass, Its Chemical Constituents, Clear Glass, Coloured Glass, Imitations of Precious Stones in Glass, Glass Mosaics, Miniature Objects in Coloured Glass, Glass Amulets, Coloured Glass Vases, Enamels, The Theban Blue, The Enamels of Tell el Amarna, Enamelled Ûshabtiû of Amen Ptahmes, Enamelled Tiles of the Step Pyramid at Sakkarah, Enamelled Tiles of Tell el Yahûdeh § 2. WOOD, IVORY, LEATHER; TEXTILE FABRICS: Bone and Ivory, Elephant Tusks, Dyed Ivory, Egyptian Woods, Wooden Statuettes, Statuette of Hori, Statuette of Naï, Wooden Toilet Ornaments, Perfume and Unguent Spoons, Furniture, Chests and Coffers, Mummy-cases, Wooden Effigies on Mummy Cases, Huge Outer Cases of
Ahmesnefertari and Aahhotep, Funerary Furniture, Beds, Canopies, Sledges, Chairs, Stools, Thrones, Textiles, Methods of Weaving, Leather, Breast-bands of Mummies, Patchwork Canopy in Coloured Leather of Princess Isiemkheb, Embroideries, Muslins, Celebrated Textiles of Alexandria § 3. METALS: Iron, Lead, Bronze, Constituents of Egyptian Bronze, Domestic Utensils in Bronze, Mirrors, Scissors, Bronze Statuettes, The Stroganoff Bronze, The Posno Bronzes, The Lion of Apries, Gilding, Gold-plating, Goldleaf, Statues and Statuettes of Precious Metals , The Silver and Golden Cups of General Tahûti, The Silver Vases of Thmûis, Silver Plate, Goldsmith's Work, Richness of Patterns, Jewellery, Funerary Jewellery, Rings, Seal-rings, Chains, The Jewels of Queen Aahhotep, The Ring of Rameses II., The Ear-rings of Rameses IX., The Bracelet of Prince Psar, Conclusion NOTES INDEX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
FIGURE 1. Brickmaking, tomb of Rekhmara, Eighteenth Dynasty 2. House with vaulted floors, Medinet Habû 3. Plan of the town of Kahûn, Twelfth Dynasty 4. Plan of house, Medinet Habû, Twentieth Dynasty 5. Plan of house, Medinet Habû, Twentieth Dynasty 6. Façade of house of Second Theban Period 7. Plan of house of Second Theban Period 8. Restoration of hall in Twelfth Dynasty house, Kahûn 9. Box representing a house 10. Wall-painting in Twelfth Dynasty house, Kahûn 11. View of mansion, tomb of Anna, Eighteenth Dynasty 12. Porch of mansion of Second Theban Period 13. Porch of mansion of Second Theban Period 14. Plan of Theban house and grounds, Eighteenth Dynasty 15. A perspective view of same 16. Part of palace of Aï, El Amarna tomb, Eighteenth
Dynasty 17. Perspective view of part of palace of Aï 18. Frontage of house, Second Theban Period 19. Frontage of house, Second Theban Period 20. Central pavilion of house, Second Theban Period 21. Ceiling decoration from house at Medinet Habû, Twentieth Dynasty 22. Ceiling decoration, Twelfth Dynasty style 23. Ceiling decoration, tomb of Aimadûa, Twentieth Dynasty 24. Door of house, Sixth Dynasty tomb 25. Façade of Fourth Dynasty house, sarcophagus of Khûfû Poskhû 26. Plan of second fortress at Abydos, Eleventh or Twelfth Dynasty 27. Walls of same fortress, restored 28. Façade of fort, tomb at Beni Hasan, Twelfth Dynasty 29. Plan of main gate, second fortress of Abydos 30. Plan of S.E. gate of same 31. Plan of gate, fortress of Kom el Ahmar 32. Plan of walled city at El Kab 33. Plan of walled city at Kom Ombo 34. Plan of fortress of Kûmmeh 35. Plan of fortress of Semneh 36. Section of platform of same 37. Syrian fort, elevation 38. Town walls of Dapûr 39. City of Kaclesh, Ramesseum 40. Plan of pavilion of Medinet Habû, Twentieth Dynasty 41. Elevation of same 42. Canal and bridge of Zarû, Karnak, Nineteenth Dynasty 43. Cellar with amphorae 44. Granary 45. Plan of Store City of Pithom, Nineteenth Dynasty
46. Store-chambers of the Ramesseum 47. Dike at Wady Gerraweh 48. Section of same dike 49. Quarries of Silsilis 50. Draught of Hathor capital, quarry of Gebel Abûfeydeh 51. Transport of blocks, stela of Ahmes, Tûrrah, Eighteenth Dynasty 52. Masonry in temple of Seti I., Abydos 53. Temple wall with cornice 54. Niche and doorway in temple of Seti I., Abydos 55. Pavement in same temple 56. "Corbelled" vault in same temple 57. Hathor pillar in temple of Abû Simbel, Nineteenth Dynasty 58. Pillar of Amenhotep III., Karnak 59. Sixteen-sided pillars, Karnak 60. Fluted pillar, Kalabsheh 61. Polygonal Hathor-headed pillar, El Kab 62. Column with square die, Contra Esneh 63. Column with campaniform capital, Ramesseum 64. Inverted campaniform capital, Karnak 65. Palm capital, Bubastis 66. Compound capital 67. Ornate capitals, Ptolemaic 68. Lotus-bud column, Beni Hasan, Twelfth Dynasty 69. Lotus-bud column, processional hall of Thothmes HI., Karnak 70. Column in aisle of Hypostyle Hall, Karnak 71. Hathor-head capital, Ptolemaic 72. Campaniform and Hathor-headed capital, Philae 73. Section of Hypostyle Hall, Karnak 74. Plan of the temple of the Sphinx 75. South temple of Elephantine 76. Plan of temple of Amenhotep III., El Kab
77. Plan of temple of Hathor, Deir el Medineh 78. Plan of temple of Khonsû, Karnak 79. Pylon with masts, wall-scene, temple of Khonsû, Karnak 80. Ramesseum, restored 81. Plan of sanctuary at Denderah 82. Pronaos, temple of Edfû 83. Plan of same temple 84. Plan of temple of Karnak in reign of Amenhotep III 85. Plan of Hypostyle Hall, Karnak 86. Plan of great temple, Luxor 87. Plan of buildings on island of Philae 88. Plan of Speos, Kalaat Addah 89. Plan of Speos, Gebel Silsileh 90. Plan of Great Speos, Abû Simbel 91. Plan of Speos of Hathor, Abû Simbel 92. Plan of upper portion of temple of Deir el Baharî 93. Plan of temple of Seti I., Abydos 94. Crio-sphinx from temple of Wady Es Sabûah 95. Couchant ram, from Avenue of Sphinxes, Karnak 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. Decorative designs from Denderah 102. Decorative group of Nile gods 103. Dado decoration, hall of Thothmes III., Karnak 104. Ceiling decoration, tomb of Bakenrenf, Twenty-sixth Dynasty 105. Zodiacal circle of Denderah 106. Frieze of uraei and cartouches 107. Wall-scene from temple of Denderah 108. Obelisk of Heliopolis, Twelfth Dynasty 109. Obelisk of Begig, Twelfth Dynasty 110. "Table of offerings" from Karnak 111. Limestone altar from Menshîyeh 112. Wooden naos, in Turin Museum
113. A mastaba 114. False door in mastaba 115. Plan of forecourt, mastaba of Kaäpir 116. Plan of forecourt, mastaba of Neferhotep 117. Door in mastaba façade 118. Portico and door of mastaba 119. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Khabiûsokari 120. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Ti 121. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Shepsesptah 122. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Affi 123. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Thenti 124. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Red Scribe 125. Plan of chapel, mastaba of Ptahhotep 126. Stela in mastaba of Merrûka 127. Wall-scene from mastaba of Ptahhotep 128. Wall-scene from mastaba of Ûrkhûû 129. Wall-scene from mastaba of Ptahhotep 130. Plan of serdab in mastaba at Gizeh 131. Plan of serdab and chapel in mastaba of Rahotep 132. Plan of serdab and chapel in mastaba of Thenti 133. Section of mastaba showing shaft and vault, at Gizeh 134. Section of mastaba, at Sakkarah 135. Wall-scene from mastaba of Nenka 136. Section of Great Pyramid 137. The Step Pyramid of Sakkarah 138. Plan and section of pyramid of Ûnas 139. Portcullis and passage, pyramid of Ûnas 140. Section of pyramid of Ûnas 141. Mastabat el Faraûn 142. Pyramid of Medûm 143. Section of passage and vault in pyramid of Medûm 144. Section of "vaulted" brick pyramid, Abydos, Eleventh Dynasty